Hon
House Chair, to our Minister Ntate Thulas Nxesi, hon Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Mme Dunjwa and hon members of the Portfolio Committee of Employment and Labour, to our senior management led by our director- general Ntate Lamathi, our honourned guests who have graced us today, members of the public, members of the media who are invited, thank you and greetings to you all.
Hon members this year of 2019 which marks 100 years of the International Labour Organisation, we are a member state of the International Labour Organisation and the theme for this year 2019 is "Social Outlook on the Future of Work." This theme actually appeals to this Department of Employment and Labour.
We table our departmental budget as the Department of Employment and Labour with full recognition of the challenges that are faced by the labour market which is currently faced with disruptive changes brought about by the advancement of technologies, persistent inequalities, poverty, globalisation, environment and climate change. These have a direct impact on the future of work.
Hon Chairperson, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, has recently resolved that it is imperative to act with urgency to cease
the opportunities and address challenges to shape a fair inclusive and secure future of work with full productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all. Most importantly the future of work should be recognised because the fundamental sustainable development puts an end to poverty and leaves no one behind.
The hon Minister of Employment and Labour has already outlined the policy direction and strategic objectives of the department and mentioned emphatically that the review process will commence soon to align the department with the extended mandate. This will be finalised at the strategic planning session which will take place on the 16 and 17 July 2019.
Hon Chairperson, I will therefore focus on the key deliverables and highlight challenges where such exist and leave the most significant achievements. We aim to conduct 167 000 inspections in the current financial year which with regard to the compliance and implementation of the National Minimum Wage. We will all our training programmes and focus more on the exit plans for all our training beneficiaries with the greater emphasis being on the creation of work more than just preparation for workplace and job placements. We will also make provision for maintenance of less material effect of the departmental infrastructure and buildings to
avoid unnecessary occupation delays. We will together with all other departments lobby for an agent review of the countries labour migration policy.
Together with the law-enforcements services, we will manage the caseload and speed up the finalisation of cases pending investigation on all matters broad forward by the inspection and enforcement directorate, the Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF, and the Compensation Fund.
We will support the independence of the national registrar on labour matters to effectively handle employer registration, monthly reporting and compliance. This will also assist with processing trade union applications and assessment as well as the deregistration of trade unions not meeting the threshold and required standards.
We value the inputs by the Parliament committees and our stakeholders. We have considered all the proposals and inputs and among other things we will review the working hours of all Thusong Centres in underserviced areas especially in the rural areas.
[Interjections.]